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5 Reasons to Believe in Artemis Racing

Artemis Racing is widely considered one of the leading challengers to win the 35th America’s Cup.

May 31, 2017

When the Round Robin 1 competition began on May 26 in Bermuda, everyone was eyeing Oracle Team USA, the defending America’s Cup champion. Of the five teams trying to unseat Oracle, Artemis Racing is one of the top challengers.

“Argo Group is proud to be an official sponsor of Artemis Racing,” says Gary Grose, group producer management and marketing leader. “They are a world-class sailing team that shares our commitment to innovation, teamwork and sustainability. Their values reflect the ethos of Argo Group.”

Here are five reasons why many people in the competitive sailing world say Artemis Racing is a serious contender to win the America’s Cup:

1. Performance to date

Heading into Round Robin 1 of the America’s Cup, Artemis Racing is riding a wave of momentum. For instance, the crew won 80 percent of their races in the third practice race week on the Great Sound in Bermuda in late April. No other team came close. Oracle, Emirates Team New Zealand and Land Rover BAR were the closest runners-up, each having won 50 percent of their contests. Artemis is also one of only two teams with a 100 percent win record for their finished races. (The other is the Emirates.)

2. A team of high achievers

By any standard, Artemis Racing boasts a very impressive sailing crew. It contains a core group of Olympic champions like team manager and tactician Iain Percy, who has won two Olympic gold medals and one silver; skipper Nathan Outteridge, who has one Olympic gold medal; and Iain Jensen, who has won one gold and one silver. It also includes world-leading grinders like Chris Brittle, Andreas Gustafsson and Jake Lilley, all of who are highly motivated to be the first to cross the finish line.

3. Magic Blue

Artemis Racing’s not-so-secret weapon is Magic Blue, the 50-foot foiling catamaran that has won a slew of practice races for the crew. Over four days in late April, for example, Magic Blue enabled the Artemis Racing team to go undefeated in its contests, winning nine straight races.

4. A winning team spirit

In a tight race, a crew’s sense of camaraderie, teamwork and absolute desire to win can be the difference between first place and second. On the path to Bermuda, Artemis Racing’s team members have repeatedly exhibited their collective passion to win. For example, here is Outteridge’s mindset: “Our goal is just to beat the other boat, and we do it through any means possible. You take the competition, you look them in the eye, and it’s about being better than them. You take no prisoners on the water, that’s for sure.”

5. Passion, ability and expertise

One factor that sets Artemis Racing apart from other America’s Cup teams is its owner’s vision for the future.

Founded in 2006, Artemis Racing is the brainchild of Torbjörn Törnqvis, a hugely successful Swedish businessman and sailor. Törnqvis has invested heavily in Artemis Racing – and is candid about his long-term America’s Cup expectations. As he announced well before Artemis Racing swept its competition in last month: “The collective passion, ability and expertise of everyone on the team means no detail will be overlooked when it comes to building the fastest yacht, for the best sailors. We are not content just to win the 35th America’s Cup. Our long-term goal is to dominate the America’s Cup arena for the next decade and inspire a new generation of sailors.”

There are multiple ways to catch Artemis Racing competing in the America’s Cup, including NBC Sports, the America’s Cup app, and Artemis Racing’s Facebook page and other social media platforms.